1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the removal of grips from handles or shafts. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for facilitating the removal of a golf grip from its associated golf club shaft.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hand grips are used for a variety of devices, including sporting goods equipment. Used and/or worn grips, particularly in the golf field, present problems during the removal process. As basic components, a golf club includes a club head, a shaft and a grip. A golf shaft is generally a hollow tube that is tapered from its butt end to its tip. The club head is attached to the tapered tip of the golf shaft and provides the ball striking surface. A golf grip is attached to the "fat" butt end of the club that exhibits a more or less constant diameter and provides the handle for the golfer's hands.
A grip is generally a rubber sheath that fits around the butt end of the shaft. To attach a grip to the shaft of the golf club, the shaft is usually first wrapped with double-sided tape over a length of the shaft equivalent to the length of the grip. A solvent is then used to dissolve and lubricate the adhesive on the outside of the double-sided tape and lubricate the internal portion of the grip. Finally, the grip is slid into place over the double-sided tape at the butt end of the club. Once the solvent dries and the adhesive sets again, the grip should not move so that the position of the grip on the shaft remains constant.
When one desires to remove a grip from a golf club, e.g., to regrip the golf club, the old grip must be separated from the double-sided tape. One technique for removing a grip is to cut a longitudinal slit in the grip with the tip of a knife blade, razor blade or other cutting utensil (referred to herein as the "slit technique"). Once the grip has been cut along its length, the grip may be peeled away from the double-sided tape. The double-sided tape may then be removed to expose the original, ungripped shaft.
A different technique for removing a grip is to strip a section of the grip off the shaft using the broad face of a horizontally positioned razor blade (referred to herein as the "strip technique"). Once the strip is removed, the rest of grip may be pulled away from the double-sided tape.
If the shaft is made of some sort of fibre, as opposed to steel, and penetration of the blade into the grip during a removal process is too deep, the cutting tool may score and thereby damage the underlying shaft of the golf club. Particularly, with graphite fibre shafts, this scoring may lead to subsequent, undesirable fractures of the shaft during use. Such a fracture necessarily leads to an expensive replacement of the golf club shaft.
An additional disadvantage of most previously known devices is that they use nonstationary or hand-held blades, which exposes the person removing the grip to the danger of minor cuts to severe lacerations if a blade or club slips during cutting.
One prior device provides a horizontally positioned razor blade that is adapted to the strip technique. In use, this prior art device is held in place by a vise, while the grip of a club is pulled against the broad face of the razor blade to strip a section of the grip down the full length of the grip. However, it is believed that this device requires greater force to effect the cut (than is used for the slit technique) because the blade must essentially cut through more of the grip to actually remove a strip of finite width. In turn, requirement of greater force increases the possibility that the application of such force could bend, break, or otherwise harm a club. It is therefore desirable to provide a device that requires less effort in handling.
In turn, the fact that the blade encounters more of the grip increases the likelihood that the blade might become dull and increases the need to repeatedly sharpen or replace the blade to maintain performance of the device. Absent such measures, such previously known devices might quickly deteriorate in use.
By the same token, while there exist devices that utilize the slit technique, it is believed that such devices fail to provide a means to maintain a constant orientation of the blade relative to the grip and shaft. The provision of such consistent orientation is desirable to enhance cutting efficiency and consistency. In turn, such efficiency and consistency is desirable both for providing consistent quality of grip replacement and for minimizing club damage or injury to those performing the grip replacement.
Thus, a device is needed to facilitate the removal of a grip from the shaft of a golf club without the associated problems of damage to the shaft or injury to the operator.